Wholesale electricity prices up 17% in January

CSO said despite the monthly rise, wholesale electricity prices have fallen by 67% compared to the August 2022 peak

Wholesale electricity prices were more than 24% lower compared to the same month last year.

Wholesale electricity rose notably in January, increasing by more than 17%.

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Monday showed that, despite the monthly increase, wholesale electricity prices were more than 24% lower compared to the same month last year.

Speaking on the shifts in wholesale prices, CSO statistician Deirdre Toher said: "Wholesale electricity prices rose by 17.1% in January 2026 when compared with December 2025 but were 24.2% lower than January 2025. 

"They have fallen by 67.2% when compared with the peak that occurred in August 2022."

Domestic producer prices for manufactured goods were 0.6% higher on average in January 2026 compared to the same period last year, while producer prices for exported goods were down by almost 6%. 

Overall, manufacturing producer prices were 5.2% lower in the year, the CSO found.

Ms Toher added that wholesale price inflation "showed an increase in January, with a 1.4% growth in the overall producer price index for manufacturing industries in the month."

"The price index for export sales was up by 1.5% since December 2025, while the index for home sales was up by 0.3% in the month."

Producer prices for food products decreased by 2.3% in the 12 months to January 2026, while the food products, beverages and tobacco were down by 2.4%.

Some of the most notable changes in producer prices for food products over the 12 months were fish and fish products, which rose by 5.4%, vegetables, animal oils and fats, which fell by more than 16% and other food products, which dropped by 6%.

The most noteworthy changes in other producer prices in the year to January were chemicals and chemical Products, up by 21%, pulp, paper and paper products, which rose by 4%, fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, up by over 3%, beverages, down 3.3%, and mining and quarrying, which also fell by over 3%.

The CSO also found wholesale prices for construction products to have increased by 0.7% in the month to January 2026, while rising by 1.5% on an annual basis.